The Wood Doctor discusses the many species classified as red oaks.

Q. Thanks for your answer involving dull sandpaper and changing the belts more often. Indeed it seemed to have helped. What do you think about taking an old belt and turning it around so it spins the other direction? Wouldn't this expose a sharp sanding mineral; that is, I am thinking that the leading age of the mineral will dull, but the trailing edge would be sharp, so reversing the belt means sharp mineral. Okay?

Q. I read in Woodworking Network about sawmills closing in the western U.S. and western Canada, but more opening and expanding in the southern U.S. What is happening?

Q. I had standard 2-inch wide maple flooring put in our house. Now, almost every piece has developed a little cupping with the edges high enough that it feels like a corrugated surface. What is going on?

Q. We have some veneered panels and the veneer is actual narrow pieces of veneer that are glued into a large sheet. The problem we are having is that when we finish these panels after sanding, there is a region, perhaps 1/8 inch wide on each side of the glue line that interferes with finishing, so now the glue line is obvious. Any ideas?

Q. We manufacture moulding and buy FAS grade lumber that sometimes is cupped edge to edge so much that it gives us problems. Can you please clarify the NHLA Rules, especially paragraphs 14 and 61? Our supplier hides behind these rules. I think we might have improperly graded lumber.

Q. Quelle est la différence entre les catégories (grade) de bois franc No.1 Commun et Select ou le FAS-1 Face (aussi nommé « Face » en Anglais)?

Q. What is the difference between the hardwood lumber grades of No.1 Common and Select or FAS-1 Face (also called “Face”)?

Q. We bought some No.1 Common kiln-dried hardwood lumber and it is warped up and down along the length. This cannot be used to make our larger doors, as the pieces we cut will not be flat. The supplier says that warp is not covered in the grades. Is this correct?